Monitoring of Glaciers, Climate and Runoff in the Hindu-Kush Himalaya Mountains

Bangladesh Responsible Sourcing Initiative: A New Model for Green Growth

SOUTH ASIA WATER INITIATIVE

The South Asia Water Initiative (SAWI) is designed to support countries improve and deepen transboundary dialog, enhance the basin and water resources knowledge base, strengthen water institutions, and support investments that lead to sustainable, fair and inclusive development.

In achieving its objective, SAWI adopts four guiding principles. These include: promotion of an integrated water resources management approach encompassing adaptation to climate change; a focus on enhancing transboundary cooperation in water resource management to deliver mutual benefits; engagement of the broadest possible range of perspectives in water management, both across disciplines and across diverse stakeholders; and emphasis on the importance of focused debate to pose questions and guide analyses and to ensure transparency, legitimacy and accountability.

Highlights

The Ganges Strategic Basin Assessment aims to build knowledge and promote an open, evidence-based dialogue on the shared opportunities and risks of cooperative management in the basin. The key feature is the development of a set of nested hydrological and economic basin models, along with targeted analyses on social vulnerability and climate change. The mosaic of information produced using these tools and approaches can be used to examine alternative scenarios across a range of possible Ganges futures.

This Annual Report details SAWI activities and operations during the period 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2014. It is structured around the five “Focus Areas” and also summarizes impacts, lessons learnt and key publications from the last fiscal year (July 2012 -June 2013).

This publication contributes to an improved understanding of the Hindu Kush Himalayas’s water resources by drawing together knowledge from the eight research projects of the SAWI Small Grants Program. By bringing together researchers from different countries in the region, the Small Grants Program also promoted a shared vision of water resources management, which is essential for realizing the benefits of the water resources of the Hindu Kush Himalayas.

Three million people live on the edge of Bangladesh's Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world. Its resources are being over exploited and local communities are struggling to survive. Almost 50 percent of the people live below the poverty line with limited access to services. The situation is serious but not hopeless. We can help and we must.

The Sundarbans are the largest mangrove forest and sanctuary for a number of the world's most endangered species. The forest has the largest single population of Bengal tigers in the world. But this unique ecosystem is under threat. We have to act now. We can save the Sundarbans - not just for us, but for generations to come.

FOCUS AREAS

Brahmaputra Basin

Improving shared understanding and management of the Brahmaputra River basin as a means to strengthen resilience and support economic growth for the riparian countries.